FAQs MA “Empirical Democracy Studies”

1. Can I apply for the Master Program if I do not yet have completed my BA degree?

If you are enrolled in a BA course of studies at a German university, it is possible to apply for our Master Program in "Empirical Democracy Studies" if you have achieved a minimum of 135 ECTS cr. at the time of applying.

If you are enrolled in a course of studies at a university outside of Germany, you have to present your Bachelor's diploma or proof of an equivalent degree upon application.

2. Do I have to complete my Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) with a certain minimum grade as a prerequisite of being admitted to the MA in Empirical Democracy Studies?

Yes. As we can only admit 20 students, there is a flexible minimum grade which corresponds to the final or average grade the "worst" of those 20 admitted students achieved in his or her Bachelor studies.

3. What are the prerequisites of being admitted to our MA program in "Empirical Democracy Studies"?

You must have studied Political Science in your Bachelor course of studies at least as a minor, that is: you must have acquired at least 60 (of 180) ECTS cr. in Political Science. Furthermore, you must have attended courses on Statistics and Empirical Methods of the Social Sciences for a minimum of 6 ECTS cr.; ideally, you acquired 14 ECTS cr in this field. These credits can, but need not be, acquired in Political Science. If your Bachelor's diploma features 6, but less than 14 cr. in this field, you must take an additional Statistics exam and pass it within the first two semesters of your studies.

4. What is the language of instruction?

In general, all lectures and seminars are held in German. Therefore, you have to document upon application that you passed the „Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang ausländischer Studienbewerber (DSH)". If you are planning to acquire respective language skills before applying for our master program, please take a look here.

Every term, we also offer a number of master-level courses in English. Thus, you must be able to follow courses taught in English and read the predominantly English literature. It may also be necessary to submit written course work or term papers in English.

For further help and information please contact Dr. Annette SchmittE-Mail